Month: October 2012

IDEA 2004 and the continued push for inclusive classrooms mean that teachers are collaborating more than ever before. This 3-part webinar series explores challenges, benefits, and strategies for teachers who are collaboratively managing inclusive classrooms.

These online webinars provide easy-to-access content related to the inclusion of special education students in the mainstream classroom. Live webinars will be recorded and accessible to registrants.

Building Bridges: Strategies for Collaborating in the Inclusive Classroom
Tuesday, October 30 at 11:45 AM (CST)

Making Time: Strategies for Planning in the Inclusive Classroom
Tuesday, November 13 at 3:45 PM (CST)

The updated STAAR Accommodations Triangle has one new Type 3 Accommodation: Math Scribe. Students are only eligible for this testing accommodation if they:

have visual impairments that necessitate the use of braille or large-print test materials or have a physically disabling condition that prevents them from recording scratch work and computations on their own

It is important to note that this accommodation is only for students who are unable to record their own scratch work, not for students who struggle with handwriting, math processes, or visual-spatial organization.

However, students who have temporary physically disabling conditions (ie. a recently broken, dominant, writing hand) may be eligible for this accommodation.

Since this is a Type 3 Accommodation, an Accommodation Request Form (ARF) must be submitted and the term “Type 3” must be recorded in the Accommodations field of the student’s answer document.

TEA has updated the STAAR Accommodations Triangle as well as the Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials (OTAPMs) document to reflect changes for the 2012-13 school year. Many of the changes are merely clarifications of information. Math Scribe, an additional support, has been added to the Type 3 Accommodations. There have also been additions and clarifications to the OTAPMs. A series of blogs will follow over the next few weeks identifying specific changes in the Accommodations Triangle in detail. Click on the links below for more detailed information: